Hybrid vehicles may be provided with an engine, an electric motor, a clutch for placing a power transmitting path between the engine and the electric motor in a power transmitting state and a power cutoff state, and a transmission disposed in a power transmitting path between the electric motor and drive wheels. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such a hybrid vehicle. When this hybrid vehicle is placed in a motor drive mode in which the electric motor is operated as a vehicle drive power source, the clutch is placed in a released state to prevent a dragging state of the engine. When the hybrid vehicle is placed in an engine drive mode in which the engine is operated as a main vehicle drive power source, on the other hand, the clutch is placed in an engaged state to transmit a drive force of the engine to the drive wheels. Patent Document 1 also describes that the vehicle drive mode is switched from the motor drive mode to the engine drive mode, by placing the clutch in a slipping state to increase a speed of the engine with a torque of the electric motor, to start the engine. Patent Document 1 further describes that when an operation amount of an accelerator pedal has been increased to a predetermined value or more in the motor drive mode, the engine is started during a shift-down action of the transmission.